Do Dogs Have The Ability To Communicate?

The dog’s failure to verbalize what they want and what they feel has not become a hindrance to the formation of close ties between humans and dogs as both can understand each other. How can dogs make humans and other animals understand what they want to say? Dogs are truly intelligent animals as they can make humans and other animals understand what they want to say by using body movements and a unique form of vocalization. Dog owners would attest to the fact that man’s best friend really do have the ability to show their feelings and to convey what they mean to their human friends.

A dog’s method of communicating will be very apparent in a household with 2 or more dogs as one dog will grab the rank of being the leader of the pack. Dogs communicate with each other in a unique way. Notice how the alpha male stops the rambunctious play of the other dogs. By growling menacingly, assuming a dominant position, the leader of the pack can communicate its displeasure to the pack members that would generally show signs of being submissive.

When the alpha male bares sharp teeth and growls menacingly, dogs lower in rank will know that the pack leader is displeased. When meeting people, humans shake each other’s hand, dogs sniff each other’s butt as a form of communication. It is rather amusing to see dogs greet and communicate with each other as this is done by sniffing each other’s rear end.

The language the dogs used as well as the body movements are obviously different from ours but through years of association, the barks, the whines and whimpers as well as the wagging tail, the erect ears and the bared teeth will allow a dog to convey feelings as well as report information to the master. An observant dog owner will have a pretty good idea what the pet wants to convey simply through the dog’s facial expression, body movements and through the dog’s unique verbal language. For instance the barking and the body movement of the dog excited at the arrival of the master would be different from the barking when the dog is trying to protect the territory from an intruder.

Dogs are man’s best friend and loyal companions. It would certainly be nice if dogs can talk so that the pet can give its two cents worth of opinion on the troubles of the master but since man and dog have a different ways of communicating, both would have to be content with understanding each other’s body language and facial expression.